Patent Application
20130220895
This invention relates to the processing of plant materials, and more particularly to an apparatus for effective and efficient extraction of resin particulates from plant materials and an improved method for extracting resins from plant materials.
Typical methods for extracting plant resins from bulk plant material utilize chemical solvents along with filter media to dissolve and separate the desired resins from the other plant materials. These methods require additional processes to remove the chemicals from the collected resins. These extraction chemicals may constitute substantial costs and liabilities to provide, handle, apply and dispose of, and risk altering the resins in undesirable ways or producing undesirable residue.
Another typical method for extracting plant resins utilizes a water bath along with filter media to suspend and then separate the desired resins from the other plant materials. This method requires additional processes to remove the water from the collected resins after percolation through the filters.
Other typical methods avoid dissolving or wetting the resins by using dry sifting methods, separating the desired resin particulates from the other bulk materials by forcing them through sieve or mesh filters.
All of these methods use various combinations of temperature, pressure, agitation and time to facilitate the extraction processes. The filter media tends to clog during extraction with these methods, thus frequent filter cleaning or filter replacement is generally required to maintain process efficiency, typically at significant costs in time and/or materials.
The primary objective of the present invention is to provide an apparatus to offer an improved method for effectively and efficiently extracting resin particulates from plant materials such as dried flowers, stems, roots, and the like.
A particular benefit of the invention is to reduce the complexity and costs in time and materials for cleaning, replacing or changing the filter media.
The invention provides an extracting apparatus comprising a disc-shaped micron-mesh filter assembly that quickly and easily installs onto a ring-shaped filter housing, that together quickly and easily install into in a cylindrical container. The filter assembly becomes locked into the apparatus, pinched between the filter housing and the container wall. The filter assembly is likewise quickly and easily removable for replacement purposes. This configuration minimizes the time required for replacing filters and utilizes a minimal amount of materials for the filter assembly, particularly the filter media, to minimize initial and replacement filter costs.
The invention provides an effective dry sifting plant resin extraction method that does not require water or other solvents. Although wet extraction is not precluded for gaining the benefits of easily changeable and economic filter media, a dry method has the benefits of not requiring subsequent drying or removal of solvents from the extracted resins and eliminates a mode of contamination. The quick and economical filter change aspect of the invention facilitates replacing clogged filter media and also facilitates the use of multiple filtration steps of increasingly fine mesh size.
Referring to
This arrangement allows the filter assembly to be quickly removed from the apparatus for cleaning, replacement or changing filter mesh size, and quickly and easily reinstalled. This design also allows the filter to be comprised of a minimal amount of filter media and other materials, to minimize initial and replacement costs.
Another aspect of the invention is that the tapered cylindrical container can be as simple and economical as a standard industrial bucket, typically of five- or seven-gallon size, although custom containers are not precluded. In one aspect of the invention the main container is a standard industrial bucket with tapered sides with its bottom removed, thus serving primarily to hold the ring and filter assembly. This main container is inserted into a secondary standard bucket used as an outer container that retains its bottom and collects the extracted resins in a clean, contained and convenient manner. With this form of the apparatus the extracted resins can be accessed for further handling simply by removing the main container from the secondary bucket without disturbing the installed ring and filter assembly.
Although gravity can be used to force the resin particulates through the filter, which may be assisted by the flow of liquid in cases of wet extraction, more effective extraction requires application of additional forces. The present invention anticipates utilizing agitation, in the form of mechanical or sonic vibration or aeration, which may be combined with a physical weight on top of the plant material to further improve extraction throughput.
The invention also anticipates using temperature to improve extraction throughput with the use of cold temperatures to make the plant material more brittle and less tacky and thus more efficiently separated through the filter. Whereas chilled solutions are used in some wet methods, one aspect of the present invention utilizes frozen carbon dioxide (dry ice) to provide the cold temperatures without wetting the plant material. After cooling the plant material during the resin extraction the dry ice evaporates into the atmosphere without consequence with adequate venting and leaves no residue and an unaltered extract. Additionally, the dry ice can serve as the previously mentioned physical weight on top of the plant material and can also provide an abrasive element to further improve extraction throughput.
The preferred method of the present invention starts with a certain size micron mesh filter assembly, the mesh size chosen for the resin particulates to be extracted, installed on the filter housing and the housing and filter assembly installed in the main container of the apparatus, inserted into the secondary container. A quantity of the plant material to have the resins extracted is spread-out on top of the filter media inside the container. A quantity of dry ice is layered on top of the plant material. This loaded apparatus is then agitated for a period of time. Plant resin particulates are thereby forced through the filter and collected at the bottom of the container. The collected resins can be further processed through finer mesh filter media if desired. The non-extracted plant materials remaining above the filter can be removed for further processing or disposal.
